5. Telkin iç bilge

Begin to relax by taking a comfortable position, loosening any restrictive clothing, making arrangements for thirty minutes of unrestricted time . . . take a few deep breaths and begin to let go of tension as you release each breath . . . allow yourself a few minutes to relax more deeply, allowing your body to let go and your mind to become quiet and still. . . . Imagine yourself descending the ten stairs that take you deeper to your quiet place . . . ten . . . nine . . . deeper and more relaxed . . . eight . . . seven . . . easily and naturally . . . six . . . five . . . deeper and more comfortably relaxed . . . four . . . your mind quiet and still, but alert . . . three . . . two . . . deeper and more comfortably at ease . . . and one. . . .

As you relax more deeply, imagine yourself in your special place of beauty and serenity as you did in the previous imagery exercises . . . take a few minutes to experience the peacefulness and tranquility you find in that place. . . . When you are ready, invite your Inner Advisor to join you in this special place . . . just allow an image to form that represents your Inner Advisor, a wise, kind figure who knows you well . . . let it appear in any way that comes and accept it as it is for now . . . it may come in many forms — a wise old woman or man, a friendly animal or bird, a ball of light, a friend or relative, a religious figure. You may not have a visual image at all, but a sense of peacefulness and kindness instead. . . .

Accept your advisor as it appears, as long as it seems wise, kind, and compassionate . . . you will be able to sense its caring for you and its wisdom . . . invite it to be comfortable there with you, and ask it its name . . . accept what comes . . . when you are ready, tell it about your problem . . . ask any questions you have concerning this situation . . . take all the time you need to do this. . . . Now listen carefully to your advisor’s response . . . as you would to a wise and respected teacher . . . you may imagine your advisor talking with you or you may simply have a direct sense of its message in some other way . . . allow it to communicate with you in whatever way seems natural. . . .If you are uncertain about the meaning of its advice or if there are other questions you want to ask, continue the conversation until you feel you have learned all you can at this time . . . ask questions, be open to the responses that come back, and consider them carefully. . . .

As you consider what your advisor has told you, imagine what your life would be like if you took the advice you have received and put it into action . . . do you see any problems or obstacles standing in the way of doing this? . . . If so, what are they, and how might you deal with them in a healthy, constructive way? . . . If you need some help here, ask your advisor, who is still there with you. . . .When it seems right, thank your advisor for meeting with you, and ask it to tell you the easiest, surest method for getting back in touch with it . . . realize that you can call another meeting with your advisor whenever you feel the need. . . .

Say good-bye for now in whatever way seems appropriate, and allow yourself to come back to waking consciousness by walking up the stairs and counting upward from one to ten, as you have before. When you reach ten, come wide-awake, refreshed and alert, and remembering what was significant or important to you about this meeting. . . .